Chapter 12

12

SEDONA

" A nd you genuinely believe he's fit to return to conventional life?" Erik Peterson, head of the psychiatric council at Alcatraz Asylum, asks while evaluating one of the many files I brought with me to the hearing.

"I do. In the months I've spent with Victor Cullen, he has shown me a soft, gentle soul. His past causes him deep consternation and boundless suffering." Victor must be rubbing off on me with how easily the lies come.

"And yet, one of his most recent charges is knocking two guards out and beating a patient half to death." Erik strokes his chin with a gnarled finger.

He's an older man with a horseshoe haircut, wrinkled skin, and a white-hot temper. And since it hasn't shown in the last forty-five minutes of my plea to get Victor back to San Francisco, I'm starting to believe he's entertaining the idea.

"In service of protecting me." An action I'll defend until my dying breath.

"I would be remiss if I didn't at least mention the five doctors who came before you. They've all shared horrid tales of the man and in direct contradiction to what you're claiming now." He lifts one bushy brow at me.

"He's been here for four years, with his fifth anniversary in the spring. In his hiatus from receiving therapy, Victor has shed his guarded, brooding shell in favor of seeking help." From me to kill a man.

I've spent weeks preparing for this meeting. It's no easy task to get someone out of lock up and back on the streets. There needs to be a clear motive, an actual show of change, and then convincing the board that Victor won't go straight back to his old ways.

But my preparation didn't come without its own mental hurdles on me. I want to get him out, but for purely selfish reasons. I want to feel his bare body against mine in a normal bed. Latch onto him the way only a lover can.

I just want to lose myself to the idea of what life could've been had we not met in this place.

"And you understand the risk of allowing a killer like him back into society? One wrong move, Miss Quinn, and we may find ourselves in a rather troubling position. Alcatraz Asylum is a new, bold endeavor. If what you say is true, and Victor Cullen has a chance to re-integrate himself into society, he'd be the first. Many tests have been conducted, and all have failed. What makes you think this time will be any different?" He leans forward in his chair eagerly.

As the man who started this facility and project, it's no wonder Erik is excited to hear about Victor's progress. Having a successful transition from the Asylum back to society would mean that this whole endeavor wasn't a waste of time and money on his part.

"My faith in the program and the real change I've seen in Victor Cullen. I watched him blossom from a cold, hard man into a passionate and driven soul. From one-word answers and snarky remarks during our first sessions to full cooperation and doing whatever it takes to be a better person." Here we go. The grand finale. I practiced this speech a thousand times and can't choke on it now. "I don't know if Victor's going to be able to handle the outside world, the same way I don't know if I'll be able to after having spent so much time on the island. But isn't that the exact reason Alcatraz Asylum was established? To break new ground and push the limits of psychiatry? I wouldn't waste your time if I didn't believe in Victor. All I ask is that you consider it."

"Very well, Miss Quinn. I will have to deliberate with the board before any final decision is made, but you will hear from us soon."

"Thank you, Dr. Peterson." I spin on my heels and breathe a sigh of relief.

That went about as well as it could have.